The Stuff Dreams are Made Of

Pink tutus and fairy-tales, Superman’s red cape and heroic acts of courage – these are what dreams are made of. Or our childhood dreams are. As children, anything is possible and to most of us, the sky is the limit. For some unfathomable reason, the American mentality that everyone should have equal opportunity to realize their dreams and all of the half-truths coupled with the very definition of dreams became inspiration for a post, so here I am typing out thoughts - in a very random fashion, on the subject of our dreams. Culture often tells our adult minds that we should have everything we want, that we should be treated “fairly,” that life shouldn’t deal us a hand that is anything less than charmed (gosh, but don’t those of us who actually live in the real world know what a white lie that is!?). Mainstream media tries to lure us every single day into a sense of false comfort not unlike what a security blanket might provide, when in reality they are lying not only to themselves but their viewing audience. The definition of “dream” is as follows:

Dream

1 : to have a dream or dreams 2 : to spend time having daydreams 3 : to think of as happening or possible.

I believe that often, our view of life and dreams get a little mixed up. Sometimes we become so focused on a fairy-tale that we forget the good in life – and, despite the strife, it is beautiful. Still to this day, America is thought of as the land of “dreams.” Maybe to many it is, but to me it is merely a land where dreams can come true, if we want it enough; are willing to work hard for it, and have the skill-set to see them through but they aren’t often a part of reality, instead aspirations are more “practical.”

Recently I've baby-sat for a family whom I occasionally do, only this time it was three times in the span of three weeks, which is unusual. Their eldest daughter has mastered the art of reading at age eight and now, often has her nose in a book lost in a world where she is unreachable (quite literally) – she’s far too busy experiencing an adventure coming alive off the pages of her storybook. She reminds me of myself at that age. As a little girl, I loved playing dress-up and was definitely nurturing my eventual sensibilities that would tend more towards being a romantic, whether it was through a Disney princess or story-book. The entertainment world only fuels these notions – and I am the biggest abuser of that. Ask me if I want to see the latest romantic comedy and more than likely my answer will be a resounding “yes.” Contrary to what someone might think, I am not a cynical person, but as I've grown older, I have realized that dreams often become unrealistic – as most of us likely do. I wanted to be a figure skater when I was seven or eight (umm… yeah, that isn’t going to ever happen) and it was “cute,” but it was a girlhood fantasy; a dream that was fed by my enchantment with watching the sport on television. As our childhood innocence wears off, those dreams get pushed into the back of our minds and begin to seem unimportant, because, well, they are: the "realism" of them is no longer obtainable. Sometimes life simply gets in the way of aspirations and other times, dreams are just... dreams that sometimes do remain better that way – hopefully we come to grips with the circumstances and gifts we were blessed with.

Dreams become our realities. That might sound cliché, but it is the truth. Instead of wanting what is beyond our reach, we realize that what we do have is not only what we want but what is more important. One of the upbeat country songs (I promise that is not the only genre of music I like) that I enjoy listening to is called “Dreaming Under the Same Moon.” It speaks of chasing rainbows and following whatever pursuit makes us happiest, but there is no honesty in the message. Instead, it merely wants us to go on being a dreamer. Carrie Underwood also has a song entitled "Crazy Dreams" which thanks God that even titular dreams can come true – and using the gifts He’s given us can see our wildest dreams realized. If there is something that a person loves, something that interests us, something that we are passionate about, then by all means, I believe you should go for it while still keeping your feet grounded in reality. Maybe it is writing or photography that you love, sewing or painting, music or design… whatever, don’t give up on those talents – whatever they are. God gave them to us, and if we are able to recognize them, find something that makes us happy while keeping our eye on Him then following dreams is a truly wonderful part of life. It can enrich that life even more than it might already be. So… no matter the curve balls life might be throwing... don't forget to keep dreaming...

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Categories: Childhood, Culture, Dreams, Life, Opinions

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